Blue Skies, Shadowy Hearts
by King2Darx
Summary: As Axom is excited about his nostalgic return to the Hoenn Region, he is more ecstatic about returning to his best friend that he hasn't seen in years. But his excitement is short-lived as he takes on the infamous organizations of Team Aqua and Team Magma. Him, along with his cousin, Ash Ketchum and his friends, have to defend the world against an evil plot that begins to unfold...
1. Prologue- Till Memories Meet Again

-Prologue-

I woke up in my sleeping bag under the sunlight speckled tree. I looked around and took in the fresh morning breeze. It felt soothingly brisk against my cheek. The air had a faint smell of Oran berries on it. I slowly crawled out of my sleeping bag and began to pack my backpack. I looked over at the girl who was sleeping just mere feet away from where I was.

"Good morning Emi," I said, gently tapping her in the middle of her forehead, "Come on, let's get going." She made a wakening moan then sat up. She yawned and looked at me with her light-blue eyes. She brushed her pinkish-purple hair out of face, rubbed her eye, and stretched.

"Morning. Where are we going again, Axom?" Emi asked while getting out of her sleeping bag. Her real name is Emily, but it seems right to just call her Emi for short.

"We're going to Lilycove City, remember? You're the one who wanted to go there to see the sea. Did you forget?" I smiled and began walking towards tree. "Umbreon, let's go!" I yelled towards the top. From out of a few branches in the tree, my Umbreon jumped onto my shoulder and licked my cheek. Umbreon has been my partner since I first started my journey. Not only is he my first Pokémon, he is my best friend.

"Um! Umbreon!" he spoke with a content look on his face.

Emi finished packing her backpack and slung it on her shoulder. She flashed me a simple smile to let me know she was ready to go. Umbreon made himself comfortable around my shoulders like he always does. Umbreon, like some other Pokémon, doesn't really enjoy being in his pokéball. I gave up on returning him to his ball ages ago.

As we walked down Route 121, I noticed Emi was staring at the sky. "Something interesting in the sky?" I asked her.

She nodded and looked back at me. "Yea, it normally rains on Route 121, doesn't it? I was just kinda surprised that it's so sunny out."

"It's the summer Emi, so it's not that surprising." I said trying to take her mind off of it. But now that she mentioned it, it _was_ kind of odd that it's not raining. I wonder if Groudon has anything to do with it. I looked back at the sun and shook off my thoughts and continued to walk down the path.

After another half hour of walking, we finally made it into Lilycove City. The refreshing smell of the sea was the first thing that caught our attention. Emi began to run towards the beach and I quickly ran after her. "E-Emi! Wait up! Don't run off so fast!" I yelled while chasing her. She laughed at me as she raced through the city to the beach. It was kind of embarrassing running through the city like little kids, seeing as though we're teenagers. Everybody was turning their heads at us and watched us run by. But the embarrassment made me run even faster to get out of their sights.

"Axom, hurry!" She yelled back at me. Emi has as more stamina than anybody I know. She would run for a straight mile then jog another two. I'm happy that I rarely make her mad, because if I did, I doubt that I'd be able to get away. I caught up to her, trying to catch my breath. Umbreon hopped of my shoulder and began to walk across the sand.

"Hey Axom, lets have a battle!" she said with a determined look on her face. I sighed and smiled.

"Okay, a one-on-one battle until either one of our Pokémon is unable to battle." I looked down at Umbreon and gave him a nod. "I'm going with Umbreon of course, what about you?" I watched her as she pulled a pokéball out of her bag.

"Mightyena, it's time to battle!" She yelled throwing her pokéball. Her Mightyena formed from a red light in front of us and gave a ferocious roar. Umbreon looked scared as Mightyena stared him down. It was Mightyena's special effect, Intimidate. It cuts the opponent's attack in half with a frightening look.

"I'll make the first move! Umbreon, use Shadow Ball!" Umbreon opened his mouth and a black ball began to form in front of him.

"Mightyena, use Leer!" Emi yelled as Mightyena showed its teeth and growled at Umbreon. Mightyena stared daggers at Umbreon and slowly walked towards him. Umbreon lost his focus and the Shadow Ball began to disappear. "Now use Takedown!" Mightyena charged at Umbreon and hit him, knocking him back a couple of feet.

"Umbreon, are you okay?" Umbreon looked back at me, nodded and looked back at Mightyena and gritted his teeth. "Okay, use Shadow Ball once again!" The ball formed in front of him again and Umbreon shot it at Mightyena.

"Mightyena, dodge it! Hurry!" Emi yelled, obviously concerned. Mightyena jumped up and tried to move, but the Shadow Ball clipped its hind leg. Yes, it hit! Mightyena yelped as it landed, showing the pain its feeling.

"Use Night Shade!" Umbreon stared at Mightyena as a shadowy wave flew towards Mightyena.

"Dodge again!" She yelled as the wave drew closer to Mightyena. Mightyena tried to dodge but the injury prevented it from doing so. Mightyena took the full impact of the Night Shade and fell to the ground and limped back up.

"Okay Umbreon, lets finish this with another Shadow Ball!" Umbreon quickly shot another Shadow Ball at Mightyena and the ball exploded on impact. That had to do it. Mightyena lied on the ground, knocked out. "That's it Emi," I said as Umbreon ran back towards me and hoping onto my head, "This battle is over. Let's get these two to the Pokémon Center." She pointed Mightyena's ball back at it and a red light engulfed Mightyena, pulling it back into its pokéball.

"Thanks Mightyena. You put up a great fight, girl." She kissed Mightyena's pokéball and walked towards me. "As for your reward," she kissed my cheek, "a kiss." I turned red as I stared at her.

"I…uh…I…" I stuttered. She kissed me before, but each time it catches me off guard. She does it out of the wildest moments. Either when she feels like it, trying to change a subject, or just wants to see me get flustered. But either way, I can never prepare for it.

"Come on and let's go." She said walking towards the Pokémon Center.

"Welcome to the Lilycove Pokémon Center. How can I help you today?" Nurse Joy asked as Emi and I walked towards the desk.

"Hello Nurse Joy. We just had a battle and would like to have our Pokémon healed, if that's okay." I asked as I petted Umbreon on his head.

"Sure, if I may have your Pokémon please." Umbreon hopped off of my head and sat on the counter. Emi handed her Mightyena's pokéball and smiled. "Okay, it'll be a few minutes. I'll notify you once your Pokémon are ready."

"Thank you very much." Emi and I said simultaneously. We walked over to a few seats by the window near the front of the Center. Emi looked out the window. I could see that she was staring at the reflection of the sun over the water.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?" I asked her, watching as well.

"Yea," she answered, "That's the whole reason I wanted to come here as opposed to Slateport City. Lilycove as a fresher environment than they do. The market there seems to take away from the beauty."

I watched her as she smiled. She seemed happy to be here. It's moments like this that I'm happy that I get the privilege to travel with her. Just to see her smile. We haven't had a set destination since I won the Hoenn Pokémon League about two weeks ago. So we have been all over Hoenn seeing everything we could.

"Hey Emi…I—" I began. But Nurse Joy interrupted me.

"Here's your Umbreon and Mightyena. They are perfectly healthy now." Umbreon hopped down onto my lap and looked at Nurse Joy as she gave Emi back her pokéball.

"Umbre!" he spoke, thanking her for healing him. Nurse Joy smiled, bowed slightly, and walked back to the counter.

"Hey Axom, let's go for a walk." Emi said, getting up from her seat.

"Yea, sure." I answered picking Umbreon up. We walked around Lilycove for a few minutes without saying a word to each other. She pointed to a lone tree on the top of a small hill overlooking the water. I followed her and sat under it. Umbreon slept on my lap and I petted him gently on his back.

"Axom?" she said, looking towards the water again.

"Hm?"

"I can't remember. What was your dream again?" She asked me, lying down on the grass.

"What with this question all of a sudden?" I asked her.

"Just tell me. I want to hear it again." She persisted.

"Well…I want to go see the world. There are a lot of places and Pokémon I've yet to see. I know it will be a long journey, but I know it'll be worth it. There is a whole world out there, just waiting to be discovered…and I want to be the one to discover it. What of you?"

"I want to help new trainers on their journeys. Inform them of all the possibilities and wonders of being a trainer. Axom, if you want to see the world, you should go to another region. Take on more gyms and take on the other Pokémon Leagues. But above that, see everything you can. Life is too short to wait. You should go and take action." She said looking at me with a bright smile.

"Will you come with me?" I asked her, grabbing her hand and holding it within mine. She gently pulled away.

We stood up and looked at me. "I have to do more studying about the Pokémon here in the Hoenn region. So no, I won't be able to. But I know that one day, you'll be a great trainer and you'll meet new friends along the way."

"Is…this where we go our separate ways…?" I asked her, growing kind of sad.

"Only for the time being. I know that we'll meet again one day. But until then, Umbreon, take care of Axom and make sure he stays safe."

Umbreon hopped onto Emi's shoulder and rubbed against her cheek then hopped onto the ground. I stuck my hand out and waited for a hand shake.

"The best of luck Emi. I know you will accomplish your goal one day." I waited for to grab my hand, but instead she hugged onto my chest.

"Axom…please be safe." She looked me in my eyes and slowly moved herself close to my lips. She kissed me gently on my lips for the first time ever. She stayed there for a while and then moved away. "Make sure you come back to see me, Axom. I love you."

"Emi…I love you too." I said, kissing her again.

This is the last thing I remember of Emi; feeling her lips on mine. It's been three years since I been back to the Hoenn region and seen her. I know she's doing well. But I have a feeling that I will be seeing her again real soon. But for now, I'm on a journey with Ash Ketchum, a boy with a great heart and courage to match. His mother asked me to watch over him while he is on his journey. I've been acting as his coach for the Pokémon Leagues he entered. With him, we both accomplish our goals. He wants to become a Pokémon master and I want to see the world. There are so many Pokémon I've seen, yet so many more I haven't been able to.

-End of Prologue-


	2. Chapter One- My Closest Friend

-Chapter One-

It's been three long years since I've been back home. My home. The Hoenn region. Years ago, me and my closest friend parted ways in this very region. She wanted to inform new trainers to all the wonders there are to becoming a Pokémon trainer. I wanted to see the world and all the Pokémon that inhabit it. After all these years, I'm finally back. But even more so, I'm back in my home town; Petalburg City.

"I never knew you lived in the Hoenn region, Axom. I always thought you were from the Kanto region like us." Brock said as we made our way through a beaten path in a forest. Brock was the Pewter gym leader back in Kanto. Ash seemed to have impressed him in their gym battle and now Brock has been traveling with us. To be his first gym battle and to beat Brock's Onix with a Pikachu was nothing short of amazing.

"Yea, I grew up here in the Hoenn region. In fact, the city we're on our way to now is my hometown." I answered as I looked around the woods. These woods hold great memories for me. This was where me and Emi used to play before we were trainers. This is also where I caught Umbreon when he was an Eevee. Actually, he was injured when I first met him. I was walking from Petalburg City and saw him sitting under a bush. I wanted to be friendly and tried to pet him. But he seemed to be scared of me.

"No, it's okay," I said kneeling down to the bush, "My name's Axom. It's nice to meet you." Eevee looked at me cautiously then moved from out of the bush, or at least he tried. I noticed that his leg was injured. "Are you injured? Come here, Eevee."

I started to go through my bag and pulled out a hyper potion and some bandages. I was a new trainer, so I packed a lot of medical supplies. Eevee limped over to me and stopped, never taking his eyes off of me. "This may sting a little, but it'll feel much better afterwards. I promise." I said then sprayed the potion on his leg.

"Eevee! Eve!" he cried out in pain. I rubbed the back of his head and smiled gently.

"See that wasn't so bad! Now the worst part is over with. Just let me bandage you up, okay?" I tied the bandage around his leg and rubbed his head again. I went inside my bag again and pulled out a couple of Oran berries I picked from a tree just near the entrance to the woods.

"Here, eat these. These will give you energy." I watched him as he ate three Oran berries one after another. He looked up at me and smiled.

"Eevee!" he spoke with a bright smile on his face. I looked around. There wasn't any other Eevees nearby.

"Are you alone? I can't just leave you here…do you want to travel with me? At least until your leg gets better." I stuck my hand down and he licked my palm. I had a great smile on my face and I picked him up and carried him in my arms. That whole day, Eevee stayed with me and never left my side.

That night was my first night sleeping on the ground and away from my bed and my parents. I was scared and I couldn't sleep at all. I guess Eevee took notice and walked over to my head and licked my cheek. He then hopped on top of my sleeping bag and snuggled onto me.

"Thank you, Eevee." I said then drifted to sleep. That next day, I woke up and noticed Eevee was gone. I initially thought that he had left. I got up and began to pack my sleeping bag. Then I heard a Pokémon cry out. It sounded like Eevee. I ran over to the noise and saw a couple of Nuzleaf surrounding Eevee. Eevee stood his ground and gritted his teeth at the Nuzleaf, but he was in no condition to fight.

"Mudkip, help Eevee out and use Tackle!" I yelled as I threw my pokéball in between the Nuzleaf and Eevee. Mudkip formed out of a red light and tackled one of the three Nuzleaf. I ran over and picked Eevee up and pointed to another Nuzleaf.

"Use Tackle again!" I yelled. Mudkip tackled the second Nuzleaf, but the third hit Mudkip from behind with a Razor Leaf. He fell to the ground and fought his way back up. The three Nuzleaf gathered around him and they all used Tackle one after another. Mudkip hit the ground and didn't move. I pointed my pokéball at Mudkip and brought him back inside. The Nuzleaf started to move towards me and Eevee. I began to back up and I held Eevee tighter in my arms.

"I won't let you hurt my friend! I'll battle each of you myself if I have to!" The first Nuzleaf used Razor Leaf against me. I turned my back and tried to protect Eevee. It felt as if each leaf had gotten stuck in my back. The other Nuzleaf used Tackle and knocked me to the ground and kept tackling me. I kept Eevee covered in my arms. "I'd rather get tackled a thousand time than let him get tackled once!" I yelled out. Eevee pulled away from me and growled at the Nuzleaf.

Eevee ran and tackled the first Nuzleaf then the second. But how quick he was moving seemed to be more than just an ordinary Tackle. Eevee was using Quick Attack. Eevee stared at the third Nuzleaf and bit it. That move was obviously Bite. The Nuzleaf shook Eevee off and he slid across the ground. Eevee bared his teeth as the other Nuzleaf got back on their feet. Eevee opened his mouth and a black ball began to form from it. I stared in disbelief as the ball grew bigger and bigger, almost bigger than himself. It was a Shadow Ball, but it was much bigger than any Shadow Ball I've seen before.

Eevee lunged forward and shot the overgrown Shadow Ball at the Nuzleaf. It exploded on impact and sent them flying back more than a few feet. The Nuzleaf limped up from the ground and ran off into the thick of the woods.

"Eevee," I spoke, still in disbelief from the strength he had, "I had no idea you were so strong." Eevee looked back at me and smiled.

"Eev! Eevee!" he said and walked back towards me. I slowly got up from the ground and felt my back. It wasn't as bad as I thought. The Nuzleaf did little more than cut my shirt. At the most, I'm just a bit sore from getting tackled so many times. Eevee walked towards a bush and pulled a branch that had a few Sitrus berries on it. The branch seemed to have been broken off of a tree. I looked at Eevee.

"Is…this for me?" I asked. Eevee smiled and picked one of the Sitrus berries of and rolled it toward me. I picked it up and bit into it. "Thank you Eevee! It's great!" I smiled at him and picked him up. But instead of staying in my arms, he hopped up on my shoulder.

Later on that day, we finally made it out of Petalburg Woods and onto Route 104. I looked at the clear skies and took in a deep breath.

"It looks like we made it out of the woods." I said as I continued to stare into the blue sky. I petted Eevee again and smiled. "It was all thanks to you Eevee, thank you." I kneeled on the ground and began to untie the bandage from around his leg. I looked into Eevee's eyes and smiled.

"Do you feel any better?" I asked as I put the bandage in my bag. He smiled contently and hopped onto me. "Okay then Eevee, show me!" I got off the ground and stepped back couple of feet. I pointed to my chest and stared at him.

"Use Quick Attack right here!" Eevee watched me and was hesitant to move. I chuckled and anchored myself to the ground as best I could. "It's okay! Give me your best shot!" I said pointing at my chest again. Eevee crouched down and charged at me with great speed. I barely caught him when he made contact with me, but it wasn't enough to stop him from knocking me back to the ground. I stood up and sat Eevee on the ground.

I stared at Eevee as I thought about how much we got along during our brief time together. "It looks like you're feeling better. I…guess this is where we part ways Eevee." I sniffled after my statement. I couldn't help but get a little choked up. After all, Eevee saved me from those Nuzleaf that attacked me. He helped me get through my first night alone. At that moment, it was hard just to look at Eevee. I turned away and began to walk down Route 104, but then I heard Eevee cry out again. Not like he was in physical pain, but as if he was heartbroken.

I turned back to Eevee and he ran to me, his eyes beginning to water. He hopped on my chest and, once again, knocked me to the ground. He stood on my chest and repeatedly licked my cheek. I sat up and held Eevee on my lap. I petted him gently on his back and sniffled again. Eevee looked up at me with his big brown eyes and continued to cry out.

"Eevee, would you like to come with me on my journey?" I asked him hopefully. He smiled and stood up, placing his front paws on my chest. "Okay, then I'll catch you."

I stood up from the ground and dug inside my backpack. I pulled out a pokéball and pointed it at Eevee. "Alright Eevee, you'll be the first Pokémon I catch!" I threw my pokéball at Eevee and he was brought inside the pokéball by a red light. The button in the pokéball was pulsating red and the ball itself rolled on the ground a bit. After a few seconds, the button turned white again and the ball became still.

It took a few seconds for me to realize that I caught my first Pokémon. I walked over to the ball and picked it up. I pressed the button again and Eevee materialized in front of me. I picked him up and held him high in the air. "Eevee," I spoke with a huge smile on my face, "From this day on, we're partners! We'll take on the Hoenn League and meet a whole gang of friends along the way!" I sat Eevee on my shoulder the same way he hopped on it before and petted him again. I looked down Route 104 and walked down the dirt road with my newest and soon to be best friend.

-End of Chapter One-


	3. Chapter Two- The Reunion

-Chapter Two-

I felt weird coming back to Petalburg City after all this time. I feel a bit of…nostalgia shall I say. This was the city where I started my journey. I looked around the town. It changed a lot since I first left. I could spot the new buildings from first glance.

"Everything okay, Axom?" Ash asked me with his Pikachu sitting on his shoulder.

"Yea," I said, while continuing to scan the city, "Things just changed since I left a while ago. Come on, I'll show you where the Petalburg Gym is." I pointed to a road just off to the right. We walked for a few minutes until I recognized a house we were passing. I stared at the building and began to unconsciously walk towards it.

"Where are you going Axom?" Brock asked me with a Pokémon handbook in his hand. I turned around and pointed down the road.

"If I'm not mistaking, the Gym should be down this road. Just go on without me, I have to take care of something." I said looking at them then back to the house.

"You're not coming with us?" Ash asked me as I continued to the house.

"I'll be there. Just go on and get your badge Ash, I'm rooting for you!" I gave Ash a cliché thumbs up and watched them walk down the road. I turned back to the house and began knocking on the door. I waited only a few seconds until it swung open and I was overtaken by a vice-like hug.

"Axom! Sweetie, you're back!" My mom said, squeezing the life out of me. Can you blame her? I've been gone for three years. I'd actually be insulted if I got anything less.

"Lilli, let go of the boy before you kill him." A man said walking behind her. This was my dad. I'm pretty sure he missed me too, but I guess he wouldn't want to look hypocritical in front of Mom. He stepped up and forcefully separated me and my mom. I looked at her and saw tears swelling in her eyes. She _really_ missed me.

"Hey Mom, Dad. I finally came back. For the time being that is." I said, smiling at them. She looked at Umbreon, picked him up, and hugged him too. I stared at Umbreon and watched him squirm a bit in Mom's grip. I couldn't help but laugh at the distressed look on his face. He finally was able to squirm free and hop back on me.

"Axom, have you been eating regularly? You look starved! Come on inside, I just made a snack." Mom said, pointing inside the house. I looked back down the road to see if I could still see Ash and Brock. I couldn't so I went on inside. I looked around the living room. At least something stayed the same in this town. I sat in the couch and watched as Umbreon hopped down onto my lap.

"So son," Dad started, sitting on the couch across from me, "It seems that you've been doing pretty well on your journey. You've become strong since I first saw you walk into Petalburg Woods all those years ago. It feels like only a few days ago you left." I smiled at Dad. That's the thing about him. He looks so uptight, but it's only a mask. He's actually really laid back…and somewhat of a klutz.

"I wish I could say the same, Noah," Mom said walking back in the room, setting the plate of muffins on the table in front of us, "But everyday felt longer since you left. I missed you a lot. And we're not the only ones. Emily missed you as much as we did." I couldn't help but smile as Mom spoke. I haven't seen Emi since we parted ways in Lilycove City. But every time I think of this, I'm reminded of our first kiss. I began to blush as my thoughts played through my head.

"You should go see her, son," Dad said while taking a bite out of a muffin, "She might be at the Pokémon Research Facility. She's been studying there for a while. I'm pretty sure she'd be ecstatic to see her boyfriend again." I grabbed a muffin from the tray and took a bite from it. The muffins tasted like Nanab Berries. I grabbed one more and sat it next to Umbreon. He began to eat the muffin.

"I guess I could head over there now…oh crap!" I yelled as I remembered that Ash was having his first Gym battle. I got up, knocking Umbreon on the floor. I rushed to the front door and ran out, closely followed by Umbreon.

"What's wrong Axom?" Mom asked, alarmed by my sudden outburst. I began to run down the street and yelled back.

"Sorry Mom, gotta go! I'll be back with Ash before we leave for the next town! See ya!" I continued to run down the different streets until I reached the Petalburg Gym. I placed my hands on my knees trying to catch my breath. I took a deep breath and began to walk to the door until I was interrupted by an explosion. "It sounded like it came from behind the Gym! Let's go Umbreon!"

We ran around the back to see a giant Meowth air balloon taking off. I looked at the Gym and saw a gaping hole in the wall. Ash, Brock and a few other people ran out and stared at the balloon. "Get back here with my Torchic!" a brunette girl, May, yelled. A red haired girl named Jesse laughed while holding a bag over her shoulder. She's apart of this organization named Team Rocket. They're a bunch of criminals that steals peoples' Pokémon.

"Not in your life, twerp!" their Meowth yelled drifting further away from the Gym.

"You won't get away! Pikachu, use Thunder Bolt!" Ash yelled while pointing to the balloon. Pikachu hopped of Ash's shoulder and his cheeks began to spark

"Ash, wait!" I yelled while running to the group of people. The spark in Pikachu's cheek began to go away.

"Axom, what's wrong?" he asked looking at me.

"If you use an attack like that against Team Rocket, you could end up injuring Torchic as well!" Brock elaborated to him. Ash looked disgruntled and stared as Team Rocket began to fly over the forest.

I reached inside my jacket and pulled a pokéball out. "Swellow, stop Team Rocket! Make sure they don't get away!" I yelled throwing the pokéball into the sky. From the ball, my Swellow formed and flew towards the balloon. "Use Aerial Ace!" Swellow began to pick up great speed and charged through the balloon and sent it on a downward spiral to the ground, almost exactly where it took off from.

"Alright twerp, you wanna play? Then lets! Arbok use Poison Sting!" Jesse yelled while throwing her pokéball out. Her Arbok formed and shot my Swellow from the air. Swellow lied there on the ground in obvious pain. Arbok's attack left Swellow badly poisoned. I pointed my pokéball at Swellow and a red light pulled it back inside. I growled and looked down at Umbreon.

Umbreon hopped in front of me and gritted his teeth at Arbok. "Umbreon, use Crunch!" I yelled. Umbreon ran towards Arbok and bit its tail. Arbok began to swing vigorously back and forth, trying to shake Umbreon off.

James, the blue haired man in their group, finally rose from the ground and pulled a pokéball out as well. "Weezing, use Tackle and get Umbreon off of Arbok!" Weezing formed from its pokéball and threw itself at Umbreon with such a force, it looked like a Double Edge. Umbreon slid across the ground and bared his teeth again.

"Now use Shadow Ball!" I yelled at Umbreon. A dark ball formed in front of Umbreon and he shot it at Weezing. Weezing dodged the attack and glared at Umbreon. Arbok slithered next to Weezing and they both started to approach Umbreon. I gritted my teeth and stared at them. Umbreon is a strong Pokémon, but still two Pokémon against one is a hard fight to accomplish. Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader, stepped next to me and patted my shoulder.

"You put up a great fight, but let me take it from here," He said with a confident smile on his face. He pulled a pokéball from waist and threw it out. "Vigoroth, come out and use Scratch!" A large Vigoroth formed out and gave a ferocious roar. Vigoroth ran towards Weezing and Arbok at a speed that you barely saw it. It threw its large claws at both of them and sent them flying back into Jesse, James, and Meowth. Vigoroth gave another booming roar after landing his hit. It was clear that he was pumped for battle.

"Umbreon, now send them off using Shadow Ball! Full Blast!" I yelled while pointing to Team Rocket. Umbreon formed a Shadow Ball bigger than himself and shot it at them. The blast was enough to send Team Rocket soaring into the sky. But oddly enough, the sack that Torchic was in landed in a tree and got caught by a branch.

Pikachu hopped of Ash's shoulder, climbed up the tree and began to bite away at the bag. He was finally able to tear the bag open and Torchic fell into May's arms. It was obvious she was tearfully happy to have Torchic back. It kinda reminded me of how my mom felt when I returned home. I smiled and petted Umbreon on the head. "Great job, Umbreon. I'll make sure to give you a bunch of Nanab Muffins when we get back home." He looked up at me and smiled.

After things cooled down, it was already sunset. That meant night was fast approaching. I thought it would be best to spend a few days here in Petalburg City, but Ash had different plans. He was so excited about getting stronger and getting his first badge, that I wasn't even able to convince him to spend the night in town. I felt comfortable letting Ash go out, especially since he has Pikachu and Brock with him. What's more is that he's now accompanied by May and her little brother, Max.

"Okay, Ash," I said, somewhat saddened about our short split, "I'll stay here in Petalburg City for a few days. I'll meet up with you at Rustboro City. May, let me register you on my PokéNav so we can communicate."

"S-sure." She said while pulling her PokéNav out of her bag. I pulled my PokéNav off of my pants and registered her number in mine.

"Well Ash, May, I doubt I'll make it in time to see you two battle the Rustboro Gym, by I know you two will do great. I'll be looking forward to seeing what Pokémon you catch along the way. But until then, take care and the best of luck." I smiled at the group as they began to walk out of the town and waved good-bye to Norman, his wife Caroline, and me. There wasn't a part of me that didn't want to go with them, but this may be the last opportunity in a while for me to stay here at home. Besides, there is someone who I must see.

As I walked home, day almost instantly turned into night. I still had a hard time taking in the unfamiliar buildings that stand around. It was like an alien place to me with hints of the old Petalburg City I used to know. I walked and stopped on an old playground that was appeared to be newly refurbished. Umbreon jumped into a nearby tree and took instantly fell asleep. I sat on the swing and thought back to when me and Emi used to play here. We always pretended to have Pokémon battles here with imaginary Pokémon, and for some reason, I would always lose. I laughed thinking about how childish we were and how much fun we had doing so.

I sat there for about fifteen minutes until I felt someone push me, gently rocking my back and forth on the swing. I turned around to see a girl with Pinkish-Purple hair and light-blue eyes smiling at me. It was Emily. She wrapped her arms around my torso and I leaned into her body.

"Hey Axom, it's been a while," She said. She leaned over and kissed me on my cheek. I looked up at her, turning red once again. "Welcome home. I'm so happy to see you."

-End of Chapter 2-


	4. Chapter Three- The Revelation

-Chapter Three-

I looked at Emi, in disbelief that she found me instead of me finding her. She looked as pure as any angel I have ever seen. She looked down at me, bits of her hair hanging down off of her head and tickling my face. She gave a soft giggle and smiled gently. "It's been a while, Axom."

My mouth was dry and full. It felt as if a thousand words were swelling in my mouth at once and was competing to be the first one out. "Emi…" was the only thing I was able to say. I continued to blush as I was captivated by her light-blue eyes. Then the situation finally dawned on me. "Emi!" I hopped up from the swing and hugged her. The sudden outburst was enough to scare Umbreon awake and caused him to plummet to the ground with a dull thud.

She laughed and stood close in my arms. I finally eased my grip so I could look at her face again. "I can't believe I finally get to see you again. You don't know how much I missed you!" I was overtaken by joy and pulled into another hug, but much longer and more passionately. She felt warm. My heart pounded against my chest. I'm pretty sure she felt it against hers.

I held her for about three minutes and finally released her for good this time. I looked at her face, she was red. I guess my hug caught her off guard. I looked down at Umbreon as walked next to me. It was clear he was mad that I caused him to fall out of the tree. He looked up at Emi and hopped onto her shoulder and licked her cheek repeatedly. He missed her as much as I did.

"Hey Umbreon. You look well." She said while rubbing his head. She grabbed him and held him in her arms. I sat back down on the swing and slowly began to swing back and forth. She sat next to me, resting Umbreon on her lap. She began to rub his silky fur. Umbreon began to fall back asleep on her.

"Emi…I'm sorry it took so long for me to come back home. I…I've been traveling with my cousin. I really-" She smiled at me and touched my cheek.

"Axom, I know. I talk to your parents almost every day. They told me that you've been traveling with Ash, acting as his guardian while he's on his journey. That's your family, there's no way you could turn that down. Besides…I know it would help you follow your dream." She said, looking directly into my eyes.

I stared back, almost in disbelief. After all this time, she still remembers what I wanted to do. But in turn, I do remember that she wanted to inform new trainers of the benefits and possibilities of being a trainer. I broke my gaze and looked up at the moon. "How has your studying been going? I remember you said you wanted to speak to new trainers." I asked her. She continued to rub Umbreon's fur and sighed.

"It's been going great. Professor Burch accepted me as his apprentice almost immediately after I came back to Petalburg City. I've seen plenty of young trainers come and go on their journeys. Each one with their own goal in mind. Some wanting to become coordinators, others want to enter the Pokémon Leagues, even a few said they want to become a Battle Frontier Brain. Just like you did when you were a kid, Axom." I gave a little chuckle that turned into a great laugh. It was true. Before I started my journey, my father was a Frontier Brain. He was known as _Ground Warrior Noah_ for the "Strength Symbol" and his arena was called "The Battle Ground". My dad almost never lost a match. He even beat one of the Hoenn League Champions, Steven, before. When I was seven, I had always wanted to become stronger than my dad and one day take over The Battle Ground and be named _Ground Warrior_. But when I turned nine, a year before my journey began, Dad retired from being the 8th Frontier Brain. But that still hasn't deterred me. Although I wish to see the world, I still want to become a Frontier Brain and bring The Battle Ground back to the Frontier.

I sat there for while with a smile on my face, thinking back to all the battles I saw my dad have. But my memories were interrupted when I heard a loud growl. I knew it wasn't me so I looked at Emi, but she had the same confused look on her face. We heard it again and looked at Umbreon. It was _his_ stomach. I had forgotten that he hasn't eaten since sending Team Rocket into orbit. I picked him up and laughed. "I'm sorry Umbreon. Let's go home and eat. You want to come too, Emi?"

She stood up from the swing and started pass me. "Sure. It's been a while since we ate together. You can tell me how it is in the other regions. I always wanted to visit Sinnoh. I heard it was beautiful."

After walking for a few minutes, we came up to my house. I knocked on my front door, but there was no answer. I looked at the windows, but the lights were off. I checked at my Pokétech; it was only 9:37 PM, a little early for them to go to bed. I twisted the door knob and found out that the front door was unlocked. That was strange, seeing as though Mom always locks the door, even when sitting on the front lawn. I knew something wasn't array. I opened the front door and scanned the living room; it looked like someone had been fighting in there. The table had been destroyed, the cases holding Dad's awards from the Frontier had been smashed and his trophies had been scattered across the floor.

"Mom? Dad?" I called out, hoping the mess was nothing more than a series of unfortunate events. There was no response. I continued into the kitchen and noticed it looked just as bad as the living room did. At this point, I became frantic. I rushed into their room and saw it was a mess too, but they were missing. Emi and Umbreon walked in behind me, not saying a word. I turned to see Emi with her hands cupped over her mouth. I was too heated to say anything that would make any cohesive sense.

"I'm going to go call Officer Jenny!" She said while walking out of the house. I scanned the room, trying to take in the fact that somebody or _something_ kidnapped my parents. I scuffled through the battle field of clothes and broken valuables. I looked at the shattered window and noticed a red piece of cloth caught on one of the jagged edges of the glass and flapping in the wind. I grabbed the cloth and looked at it, it had a mountain or something on it. I've seen that symbol before, but I cannot remember where.

I stared at the cloth for a few minutes until I was brought back to reality by the series of flashing blue lights out side. I slid the cloth into my pocket and walked down stairs to see a few policemen examining the living room and Emi talking to Officer Jenny. I walked over to them and Officer Jenny looked at me.

"Are you Axom?" She asked me while her Mightyena began to snoop around the living room as well.

"Yes. Why? What happened? Where are my parents?!" I replied her, becoming further infuriated by the situation. Emi grabbed my hand and Umbreon hopped onto my shoulder, trying their best to calm me down. But it was doing little to soothe me. I pulled away from Emi and clenched my hand into a fist, preventing her from grabbing it again. I stared at Officer Jenny, waiting for an answer that I would deem acceptable.

"We…we don't know just yet. We just need you to give us time and let us investigate. We are trying our hardest to find them. Do you know anything about anybody who might try to attack them?" She asked me.

"No! No I don't! Why would anybody attack them?! They go out their way to help anybody who needs it! They're the kindest people I know!" I snapped, my voice getting progressively louder."

"Axom," Emi said in a lower voice, hoping to bring mines a little lower, "They're doing everything in their power to find them. Getting upset at the situation won't do anything to help. So please, calm down. They will find them." She looked into my eyes and stared. I took a deep breath and gave an extended sigh.

"Okay," I said braking eye contact with Emi. I looked at Officer Jenny gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Officer Jenny. It's just…I don't know who or why anybody would kidnap them. But I-" I was interrupted by Mightyena's barking. We looked over at it and saw it had a red cloth hanging from its mouth.

Officer Jenny grabbed the cloth from Mightyena and examined it. "What's this?" She asked while scanning all around the cloth. When I saw it, I remembered that I had a piece of cloth similar to that in my pocket.

"That looks just like the same type of cloth I found stuck on the window in my parents' room." I said while taking the cloth out of my pocket and handing it to Officer Jenny. She looked at the cloth and saw the mountain logo on it. Her face turned pale when she saw it. Emi saw the logo on it as well and she began to stare at it in disbelief. I looked at them confused, because they seemed to recognize the logo. "What is it? Do you know where this came from?" I asked, starting to become angry again because it seemed like they were withholding information from me.

"Do you know what this is?" Officer Jenny asked me. I looked at the cloth again, trying to piece it together. The mountain looked familiar, but I could not remember where I saw it from.

"No. It looks familiar, but it's nothing more than a mountain. What of it? What does it mean about my parents?"

"Axom, this isn't a mountain. It's a volcano." Emi said, grabbing my still tightly clenched fist. I looked at the cloth with the idea of a volcano. The red cloth, the volcano, the raid, the kidnap. I began to place all of it together, then I realized who it was.

"Team Magma…" I said. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fist as tight as possible. Team Magma is an evil organization with the goal to expand the Earth's landmass by awakening the Legendary Pokémon, Groudon. I've heard that they tried many years and almost succeeded, but some people stopped them. I don't remember who. I thought they disbanded long ago. "What the hell do they want with my parents? They didn't do anything to them!" I yelled out, in more fear than anger now.

"I don't know. But I'm pretty sure we can pick up where they are if we hurry," Officer Jenny said while looking down at Mightyena, "Mightyena, use Odor Sleuth on this." She placed the cloth in front of Mightyena and it began to sniff it. I wasn't even a full second when Mightyena picked up on its scent and charged out the front door. Me, Emi, Officer Jenny, and a few police officers all followed after it.

Mightyena ran out of the city and into Petalburg Woods. I played multiple thoughts in my head, thinking of what Team Magma could've done to my parents. I ran faster, actually keeping pace with Mightyena until it stopped behind some bushes. I stopped next to it and crouched down, making sure I was out of sight. I looked between the bushes to see a large group of people in red clothing and a woman in wearing a red hood talking to two people tied up against a tree. She looked like the leader of the group. I got a clear look at the people against the tree, it was Mom and Dad. I growled and was about to stand until someone grabbed my jacket. I looked back and saw Officer Jenny pulling back down, shaking her head. I looked back out to the woman and tried my best to listen to what they are saying.

"I told you before; I'm not telling you where the Blue Orb is!" My dad yelled at the leader. She gave a smug laugh and stared at him.

"The stories are true, you really are stubborn, aren't you Noah?" She bent over and stared him in his eyes with the same smile. Dad stared back at her, not saying a word. Her smile turned into a despicable frown. She stood back up and pressed a button on the headpiece in her ear. She began speaking to someone through it. "Okay, we have Noah and a witness. We need an evac back to base…yes sir…roger."

She looked back down and Mom and Dad and grew her smile again. She grabbed Dad by his chin and lifted his eyes to hers. "Lucky you, you two get to meet Leader Maxie. Well, I guess you already met him Noah. Seeing as though you and Steven stopped him and Rollen years ago."

I stared at them, listening attentively to every word. I thought I misheard what she said. My dad…stopped Team Magma all those years ago? I continued to watch as a helicopter flew above where they were. A man with slick red hair and evil beady eyes slid down a rope and landed in front of the woman. He looked at her then looked at my mom and dad. He gave a smirk and began to speak. "Ground Warrior Noah. It's been 16 years since we last met. How is Steven doing? I know he has been very busy keeping up with his Champion duties."

"He's been great. Making accomplishments, unlike you. What do you want? Why have you kidnapped me and Lilli?" Dad spat back at Maxie. Maxie gave a quiet chuckle and folded his arms.

"What do you think? I want the Blue Orb. I don't know where you and the others hid it, but I want it back. Groudon is becoming restless in his sleep, so I thought I should wake him up. So I'll ask one more time formally, where is the Blue Orb?" Maxie stared at Dad.

Dad returned the stare and smirked at Maxie. "Like hell I'll tell you where it's at." Maxie gave Dad an ugly frown and sighed.

"You could've made things so simple, Noah. That's fine, we know how to make you talk. Take them back to the base." A few of the Magma grunts began to walk towards Mom and Dad. I growled and pulled a pokéball off my belt and was about to stand up until Officer Jenny grabbed my jacket, shaking her head again.

"Axom, stop," she whispered, "even with all our men, they still too many to take on! We'll just find out where the base is and-" I pulled my jacket back and stared at her.

"No! I will not let them take my parents! I'll take them all on! Go back if you want, but I'm going to fight! Are you coming with me Umbreon?" I looked down at him. His fur was erects and stiff, meaning he was ready to fight. We ran out of the bushes and towards Maxie and my parents. Maxie looked at me, somewhat puzzled. I stared at him, my pokéball clenched tight in my hand. Out the corner of my eye, I could see Emi untying my parents from the tree.

"Axom?! Why are you here? I don't want you involved with any of this! Get out of here!" My dad yelled while struggling to get free quicker. I ignored him and stared at Maxie, thinking about how bad I want to make him pay for kidnapping my parents.

"So I take it you're Noah and Lilli's son?" He gave another chuckle that escalated into a laugh. "You grew a lot. You were two when I saw you, if I'm not mistaking. What do you want you brat?"

"Get out of here and leave my parents alone!" I growled at him. Umbreon was in front of me, showing his teeth at Maxie. Maxie smiled and took a few steps back and pulled two pokéballs out of his jacket.

"You must not be aware of who I am. I'm the leader of Team Magma! No brat's gonna tell me what to do! But if you want to pick a fight, then fine! I'll put you in your place! Houndoom! Camerupt! Teach this brat a lesson he won't soon forget!" He yelled while throwing his pokéballs out in front of him. From a light, his Camerupt and Houndoom appeared and stared at me.

Umbreon ran in front of me and crouched down, ready to attack. I looked at my pokéball and threw it out in front of Houndoom and Camerupt. "Aggron I need you!" From out of the ball, Aggron appeared and gave a ferocious roar and stomped on the ground, causing the earth to shake a little. "I'll show you not to mess with my parents, Maxie!"

-End of Chapter Three-


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